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Believe it or not, getting an interview is becoming harder and harder. The last thing you want to do is waste a good opportunity, so here is what you need to know to ace the next interview.

It's an interview not a discussion

Regardless of how casual you think the interview will be, remember that it is not a conversation. Typically it is the roadblock to getting that better job with better pay, more benefits, increased flexibility or a better location. There is a lot riding on your performance and I want to make sure you are prepared. So remember:

“An interview is never a conversation, it’s an interview.”

Remember that the interviewer has a lot of pressure to find the right candidate in a very short period of time (spending only 30-60 minutes with each candidate). Remembering this already puts you ahead of the game.

Preparation is your key to success

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Good methodical preparation is the only sure way of hitting a home run. Before jumping to the following steps, take the time you need to prepare. In this case preparation means:

Find out the history of this job / job posting. Was this job held by the same person for the last 5 years or has it been a hot seat with a new employee every 3 months?
Find out about the company and specifically the office you are applying to. What do they do? How many employees do they have? What makes them different?
Find out about your future boss. Who is it and what kind of person are they? What does his/her command structure look like? Do you know anyone in his organization or a related organization?
Find out about the interviewer. Who is she/he? What is their style? etc.
What are the companies values? What are their corporate social responsibility commitments?

Use every resource available to you to dig and go in prepared.

Practice, practice, practice

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“In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is”

— Yogi Berra

I can't stress this enough. Chance favours the prepared. If you really want this job, you need to practice.

The first step of preparation is knowing your CV inside out:

companies you worked for
dates you work at each (day, month and year)
what your title was
what you did there
the value you delivered to the organization, clients and shareholders

Once you know the above, you need to practice how you will vocalize it. This means practicing out loud while simulating the work environment. Practice in front of a camera, so you can analyze the words you used, the flow you created and what you were communicating non verbally. It may be tough to truly and honestly analyze yourself with a critical eye, but better to do it now and fix issues before you sit in front of the interviewer.

Examples, examples, examples

“A picture is worth a thousand words”

— Arthur Brisbane

You should prepare to answer the standard questions of :

why are you leaving your current job
why are you the best candidate
how did you generate value for your last employer

Make sure you prepare clear examples to illustrate your real world reaction to these questions. A question can be asked hundreds of different ways and your formal answer needs to be customized to the question but if you prepare a handful of different examples for different situations, you'll always be able to respond properly.

Find examples for each section (work, school and personal) of your resume that highlight your contribution to a certain activity. Try to find enough examples to illustrate your strengths, leadership skills and tailor your examples to the companies values.

Remember that often interpersonal skills are more important than technical ones so don't forget to show some examples of how you handles thorny people issues.

Have questions ready?

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Assuming you did everything mentioned above, you should have various questions ready to go. A candidate that doesn't have questions is usually a cause for concern to the interviewer potentially showing a lack of preparation or interest.

You may want to know why this position has been advertised 4 times in the last year. Are the candidates leaving?

You may want to know about compensation, job flexibility, etc.

Whatever it is, create a master list and then sort it by audience.

“Ask the right question to the right person”

Don't ask the HR person about on the ground questions. Those are better suited to the actual boss. By tailoring your questions to the right audience, you will look much more prepared. When meeting HR, ask them all the HR questions. When meeting a manager, ask them all about the "on the ground" questions.

7 non verbal mistakes people make during interviews

February 27, 2015GeneralEdward Kiledjian

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Non-verbal communication can actually make up 70% of the message your are transmitting. It is much more powerful than verbal communications but much more difficult to control. Having performed hundreds of interviews, I have a list of the biggest non-verbal blunders I have notices during interviews that I wanted to share with you.

Too much or too little eye contact - Not enough eye contact and it conveys lack of interest or low self confidence. Too much eye contact can be seen as intimidating and frightening in some cases. During one 45 minute interview, the interviewee starred at a spot on my forehead the entire time blinking very very rarely. It made the entire discussion very awkward.The trick is stay relaxed and do as you would normally do.
Inappropriate clothing - You should dress for the position you are applying for and the culture of the company. I was interviewing for a director position in a conservative multinational consulting company and the candidate showed up in a 1970's candy blue tuxedo. In another situation an interviewee for an entry level PC field technician job showed up in a $5,000 Armani suit with crocodile skin shoes. How do I know? Because the candidate worked it into the interview conversation to ensure I realized what he was wearing. Do your homework and wear appropriate clothing.
Give me a normal handshake - Your father told you that a handshake quickly defines who you are in he was right. Too weak and it projects insecurity. Too strong and it exudes arrogance. As ridiculous as it may sound, practice your handshake strength with friends and family to find a happy medium.
Don't be tick man/woman - The interviewer knows being interviewed is stressful and we access that there will be a certain amount of movement because of this (movement often relieves pressure for the interviewee)but there are limits. Be conscious about your body, posture and movements. Don't tap your foot nervously on the floor, table or chair leg. Don't continually click and unclick you pen. Don't twirl your hair. It's good to have a normal amount of arm and hand movements as you are explaining your points but don't let it get out of hand (you are not directing an orchestra). Remember that you want to present yourself as an energetic but in control individual. Practicing your interview in front of a mirror or camera can help.
You are not a statue - On the other end of the spectrum is the emotionless statue. These are people that have a completely blank emotionless presence during the entire interview. I had one of these and he gave off a serial killer vibe that quickly "killed" the opportunity for him. The modus operandi is be calm but engaged. A little emotion is a good thing.
Smell nice not like a perfume department - It is a good idea to pick a nice smell and use it sparingly (cologne, perfume, aftershave, etc). First don't bathe in the smell. A few dabs or spritzes is all you need. Second please choose one smell and go with it. Don't mix different products each with their own smell. There was one interviewee that showed up smelling like an entire department store perfume section. He had used a handful of different smells on him (clearly) from body spray, perfume, deodorant, etc. I know because I asked. Why did I ask? Because the combination was so strong my co-interviewer and I sneezed for about 5 minutes.
Other general recommendations:

Smile sometimes
Don't cross your arms, it shows you as being closed off

A survey of 2,000 hiring managers showed that most thought they could properly judge a candidate within 90 seconds of first seeing them. This shows the power of non-verbal cues. I would never make a hiring, firing or promotion decision based solely on non-verbal cues, they do play an important role in building an overall picture of the person being evaluated. The key to presenting a positive and welcoming non verbal aura is consciously acknowledging these points and working on them to "put your best foot forward"

The secrets to acing that next interview